1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved disinfectants based on a prototype formulation of alcohols and hydrogen peroxide and to the use of these disinfectants for disinfecting the skin and mucous membrane.
2. Description of Related Art
Water-based skin disinfectants containing alcohols in addition to hydrogen peroxide are known from the prior art. They combine the known antimicrobial effect of alcohols with the oxidizing effect of hydrogen peroxide and have the advantage of being free from iodine or resorbable iodine compounds which are unwanted in many areas of disinfection. Disinfectants of this type are described, for example, in German published application No. 29 04 217. The disinfectants described there are primarily intended to be used for disinfecting hands in the medical field, particularly before putting on surgical gloves, and are particularly advantageous because they are free from germ spores and are capable of killing off germ spores which have penetrated the skin. However, these disinfectants have an alcohol content of at least 50% by weight. Alcohol contents as high as these are undesirable in disinfectants formulated for disinfecting mucous membrane because they have a very strong irritant effect on the mucous membrane. Another disadvantage lies in the fact that the alcohol content of such disinfectants "vanishes" after a relatively short time in view of the relatively high vapor pressure of the alcohol so that the disinfecting effect diminishes or disappears altogether.
It has been found that disinfectants based on alcohol, for example ethanol, n-propanol and/or i-propanol, and hydrogen peroxide, but with alcohol concentrations distinctly below 50% by weight, may also be used in principle for disinfection of the skin and also for disinfection of mucous membranes. However, the microorganism reduction sought by application of the disinfectant is only achieved after contact times of at least 2 to 3 minutes. Contact times as long as these must be regarded as unrealistic and, at least in practice, are hardly ever achieved. Accordingly, the desired success of disinfection is not achieved with disinfectants containing less than 50% alcohol.
Disinfection measures on sensitive parts of the skin and mucous membrane, as required for example before surgical operations, still present considerable problems. This is due on the one hand to the fact that such areas of skin are highly sensitive to chemical irritation and react to treatment with the known, effective and fast-acting compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, chlorine donors) with a feeling of discomfort to the onset of pain. On the other hand, treatment with compounds of this type might also be ruled out by the fact that these compounds could damage or allergize the treated tissue or by the fact that toxic side effects through resorption of the active substances are not out of the question. For example, iodine is resorbed particularly effectively through the mucous membrane. Hence, the disinfecting treatment of mucous membrane with iodine containing disinfectants or antiseptics would seriously affect the organism because of such high resorbability.